High-Speed Chase Suspect Released Early From Prison, Had Several Recent Arrests

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Documents reveal the suspect arrested Wednesday afternoon in a high-speed chase on Interstate 49 has been sentenced to prison twice in the past six years. He was released early in one case and did not spend any time behind bars in the other criminal case, court records show.

The suspect also has a history of having protection orders filed against him, records show.

Jason Komsonekeo, 33, was arrested after leading several Northwest Arkansas law enforcement agencies on a high-speed chase that reached faster than 80 miles per hour, police said. He was booked Wednesday night into the Washington County Detention Center on suspicion of felony fleeing, violation of a protection order and reckless driving, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities started chasing the red Ford Focus around 12:30 p.m. in Springdale near Exit 72 (Sunset Avenue), as the vehicle made several U-turns from the north and south-bound lanes.

Arkansas State Police, along with Springdale and Fayetteville police departments and the Washington County Sheriff's Office, were involved in the chase and were blocking on-ramps to keep passenger vehicles from getting onto the interstate, eyewitnesses said. The chase reached speeds faster than 80 miles per hour, according to the Springdale Police Department.

At about 1:30 p.m., the vehicle got off of the interstate at Exit 82, eyewitnesses said. State police soon afterward arrested the suspect near the intersection of Thompson Street and Porter Avenue in Springdale, authorities said.

Springdale police received an initial call around 8 a.m. that Komsonekeo had violated a protection order and was at a location on Austin Street. He left before officers arrived, according to the police department.

Police at 12:30 p.m. received another call saying the suspect was again at the Austin Street location. Komsonekeo attempted to drive away again, but was seen by officers on Sunset Avenue, police said. Springdale police tried to pull the suspect over, but he pulled onto the interstate instead, according to police.

Springdale officers stopped chasing Komsonekeo around Exit 76 (Wagon Wheel Road) because the risk of injury in the construction zone was too great, police said. Arkansas State Police later picked up the chase, which went back down to Springdale and down several highways and streets. Springdale police tried to stop the car with spike strips near Wagon Wheel Road and Silent Grove Road, but were unsuccessful.

While still being tailed by authorities, the suspect pulled over at Thompson Street and Porter Avenue in Springdale, where he was taken into custody.

Property records show the Austin Street address police were called to belongs to Angela Phakhin, a woman who filed a protection order against Komsonekeo on Tuesday, according to court records.

Komsonekeo has had three other protection orders filed against him since 2006 by two other women, court records show.

He has been arrested at least three times since 2011. The suspect was arrested in a 2011 drug case and was then arrested the following year on suspicion of violating a protection order. Komsonekeo was again arrested in 2013, on suspicion of a common misdemeanor, a low-end misdemeanor charge that can include not paying fines or failing to show up for court.

Komsonekeo was sentenced to six years in prison in 2008 in a residential burglary case, but was released early on parole, according to Arkansas Department of Correction records.

The suspect was also arrested in a 2011 drug case and pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and being a habitual offender, according to court records.

Komsonekeo was sentenced in March 2012 to five years in state prison, with all five years suspended, court documents state.

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1 Comment

Arnold Fudpucker

Where are the earlier comments? What’s the matter 5! Your political correctness getting bruised? Or is it the censorship feeling of power got you pumped up. What do you have against really punishing creeps like this?